These giant cheese stuffed shells (Olive Garden copycat recipe) are absolutely delicious and easy to make. The oven-baked giant pasta shells are stuffed with a three-cheese filling and topped with a creamy alfredo sauce and breadcrumbs. It's the perfect dinner to WOW your guests in under 40 minutes.
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit (200 degrees Celsius).
Boil a pan of water and cook the pasta shells for 12 minutes until al dente (check the package instructions for the recommended time).
Drain and rinse the pasta under cold running water once the pasta is cooked.
Mix the ricotta cheese, parmesan cheese, and mozzarella cheese with the oregano, basil, and minced garlic in a medium bowl.
Grease a baking sheet with cooking spray and pour 1 cup of the readymade marinara sauce into it.
Stuff each jumbo pasta shell with 2 spoons of cheese filling and place them on top of the marinara sauce.
Cover the baking sheet with aluminum foil and bake in the preheated oven for 20 minutes.
Next, melt the 1 tablespoon of butter in a hot skillet over medium heat with the breadcrumbs for 1-2 minutes until slightly toasted, then transfer to a bowl.
Use the same skillet, make the creamy alfredo sauce with melted butter and garlic, cooking for 1 minute until fragrant, then whisk in the half and half milk.
Stir in the remaining Parmesan( leave extra for topping) and Mozzarella cheese until completely melted, and the sauce has a silky smooth texture.
Remove the pasta shells stuffed with cheese from the oven, remove the aluminum foil, and pour just enough alfredo sauce to cover the cooked shells.
Spoon over some more marinara pasta sauce and finish with the toasted breadcrumbs and extra Parmesan cheese.
Turn the oven to broil and place the dish back in, cooking for 2 -3 minutes until the cheese and breadcrumbs become golden brown.
Remove the giant stuffed cheese shells from the oven and allow to cool for 5 minutes before serving with some fresh basil leaves or chopped fresh parsley.
Recipe Notes
The alfredo sauceIf you want a thinner sauce, add more milk. If you want a thicker sauce, add less milk.Overcooking the pasta shellsTry not to let the pasta shells cook for too long, as they tend to break easier when stuffing them with the cheese filling. I always cook them 2 minutes less than the package instructions so that they are still firm enough to fill without breaking them.Cooling the pastaThis is vitally important to stop the cooking process. For best results, make an ice bath in a saucepan to cool down the pasta shells instantly.Filling the shellsThere are two easy ways to fill the shells. One is with a spoon (this can cause one or two shells to break if you're not careful), and the other is to pour the mixture into a piping bag (or ziplock bag) and cut off the end to squeeze the ricotta cheese filling into the shells.